This article comprises two parts. In the first one, a traditional psychological approach to the study of international relations is discussed. One way of looking at international politics is to focus attention on individuals, primarily the decision-makers. Concepts such as "Belief systems", "Images", "Perceptions" and "Deceptions" thus constitute the clues to the theoretical framework of this approach. In the second part, the increasing influence of mass communication in international relations and in image- making is dealt with. The physics of power is declining and consequently the psychology of power is rising. Power politics is under a process of transformation. A small and neutral country like Finland is especially sensitive to image policy problems, because image policy is more crucial for a state whose international position is not a historically institutionalized part of the system. It is time to take a more conscious attitude to the innately interdisciplinary nature of the study of international relations.
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